That glorious machine in your kitchen that saves you the hassle of having to deal with high piles of dirty dishes, does in fact need to be cleaned itself. With continued use, grease, food debris, and soap scum accumulate in dishwashers causing a build-up of germs, appliance inefficiency, and funky odors. Your go-to cleaning machine needs you to return the favor by giving it a thorough cleaning. To have your dishwasher run in tip-top condition here is the right way to clean it.
You’d be surprised what Winnipeg washer repair pros find in dishwasher drains: from glass shards to small pieces of gravel, bones, crab shells and more! These pieces are what causes blocked drainage, reduced efficiency, scratches to the dishes, and damage to the pump. Even more, pieces of food left in the drain will over time result in mold and bacterial growth hence the black residue and bad odor. The first step in cleaning should be to remove the bottom rack and inspect the dishwasher drain, getting rid of any food or gunk caught there.
The next step should be to wash the cycle with vinegar. Running the dishwasher with vinegar will help get rid of greasy grime. Vinegar is naturally antibacterial so it sanitizes the dishwasher and removes the nasty odor. For homes with hard water, run white vinegar as it helps bust up hard water collections to super clean the inside of your dishwasher. Once the appliance has run through the cycle, leave it closed for at least 20 minutes for steam cleaning. Afterwards, open it and wipe the interiors with a soft sponge or paper towel.
If you noticed any black residue or black spots in the dishwasher, it’s a sign that mold had already developed. Cleaning your appliance with bleach will do two things; remove the mold and mildew, as well as disinfect the washer. As you use bleach, you need to take proper safety measures by wearing the proper safety gear. Make sure you wear a face mask and thick rubber gloves. Bleach can damage your eyes, skin, nose, and mouth, so spray from a distance. Also, never mix bleach with other cleaning products such as ammonia, rubbing alcohol, or ammonia. Mixing bleach with the wrong household products can create dangerous noxious fumes. Only mix bleach with either cold or warm water. Another point to note is that bleach will corrode stainless steel, so if your dishwasher’s interior is this material, bleach is a No! No! for cleaning.
Now that your dishwasher’s interior looks great, the last step should be to clean the exterior. How you do this depends on the exterior’s material. If your dishwasher’s exterior is stainless steel, glass cleaner does a perfect job removing smudges and fingerprints as well as built-up grime. If the material is plastic, a sponge dipped in hot soapy water should do just fine. For either material, take care so that you don’t pour any moisture on the electric controls.
Dishwashers are the most used appliances in households, yet the most neglected. If you don’t periodically give your dishwasher some TLC, you risk it becoming a cesspool of mold and mildew, bacteria and bad odors. According to Winnipeg washer repair professionals, a thorough cleaning of the dishwasher at least once every month will keep it running at its best for a longer time.